The long term evolution (LTE) network consists of evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN), base station, evolved node B (eNB) and evolved packet core (EPC), and its network structure is flat.
In the above LTE network, the E-UTRAN comprises a set of eNBs connected with the EPC via S1 interface, wherein the eNBs may be connected with each other via X2, and S1 and X2 are logical interfaces. One EPC may manage one or more eNBs, one Node B may also be controlled by a plurality of EPCs, and one eNB may be in charge of one or more cells.
At present, to reduce the load of signaling message caused by the use of tracing, tracing commands are bound to the existing flows. On the S1 interface, it is supported that an SAE BEARER SETUP REQUEST message (wherein SAE is the acronym of system architecture evolution) and an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST message include the tracing command flows of users or devices. Meanwhile, on X2 interface, it is supported that tracing command flow information of users or devices may be included in HANDOVER REQEUST message. However, considering that the need of performing signaling tracing to a UE currently in activated state can be satisfied by a single signaling tracing initiation message, and at the same time, the methods for signaling tracing using bearers and initial context messages mentioned above may also be avoided, the single signaling tracing initiation command is employed to initiate signaling tracing at present.
To achieve flexibility of the tracing function, users or devices need to be able to initiate a tracing flow and to stop the tracing flow as well. However, there is so far no existing technology for stopping the tracing flow.